And then, just before 10pm, the music began. And the chairs started swivelling.

From behind the main panel, we sighted the edges of an unfurled banner, then heard the groundswell of a chanted lament. The lyrics were blunt, to the point and at least had the basic benefit of rhyming. "No cuts! No fees! No corporate universities!"

It was a ditty that may not challenge the scorekeepers at iTunes, but it did prove a supreme test of the skills of host Jones, who faced the dilemma of just how the ABC’s weekly exercise in live democracy might deal with an outbreak of its more unruly and passionate expression.

Faced with a choice between rolling his eyes and throwing up his hands, Jones opted for the former, accompanied by a head shake and a stern admonition to the protesters: "OK guys, you’re doing yourself no favours". The students plainly thought they were doing themselves more than a favour - they were making a vital point in time-honoured student fashion - and were not to be quieted. For once, the standard Jones rebuke - a gentle "I’ll take that as a comment" - was rendered redundant.

In the control room, a decision had to be made, and it was this: get the show off air and throw up something soothing while the mess was sorted out. Thus it was that some of the most entertaining, unpredictable live television Australia has seen since Graham Kennedy squawked his infamous live crow call was ripped off air and replaced with an old Q&A performance by the lovely Katie Noonan. One assumes if Enya had ever been a guest, the producers would have calmed the nation with that, but Katie had to do.

The verdict on Jones: he handled the uproar as well as could be expected, though his remark on the return of the broadcast raised some eyebrows: "Thank you. We had a little musical interlude then while we get democracy back on track."

By which he meant the protesters had been given the heave-ho and calm restored. As a solution, it didn’t seem strictly democratic - and perhaps no one was more disappointed than Christopher Pyne, who could barely conceal his glee at being targeted by protesters he surely knew would have had many a middle-Australia viewer tut-tutting into their cups of tea.

All in all, it was a very Australian hour of television - live TV at its best, ruined only by the fact that they took it off air to bring it under control. But modern television generally doesn't like mayhem that hasn't been strictly scripted in advance. Democracy thrives on it, which might be something for the ABC to think about next time the singers don't sing from the pre-prepared song sheet.

Fortunately things ended with a more communal musical interlude - Mark Trevorrow singing the Shirley Bassey song The Joker while his fellow panellists and the surviving members of the audience clapped happily along. Mr Pyne appeared to have had a lovely night all round.

"Does this mean you won’t have me again?" he’d asked Jones during the protest. On the contrary, minister. We’re certain you’ll be back. We doubt the same can be said for those students.

Poll: Did you think student protesters did the right thing by disrupting Q&A?

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

72 comments so far

The qanda producers shouldn't have cut into the show. Their own self-created chaos from stacking the audience with socialist alliance "students" should have been left on show to complete the erosion of what little credibility qanda and our ABC has left.

Commenter

brian

Location

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 2:10PM

Are you ignorant or just an ideological hack? Q & A publishes the political make up of its audience at the beginning of the program and 90% of the time is exactly half and half Liberal to Labor/Greens. By all means spew right wing filth on the ABC but at least check to see that you don't spread misinformation when doing it.

Commenter

Stewart

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 7:52PM

and do tell us, what TV do you watch that is of superior quality to Q&A in terms of unpicking the details of political and other important issues in Australia, let me guess, The Bolt Report?

Commenter

Bazza

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 8:23PM

You could say the same and more for anything that the Murdoch owned press has ever published. While people like you who have absolutely no understanding or knowledge of the constraints as well as obligations that the ABC has to follow with respect to federal legislation it is quite easy to sit back with your LNP prepared diatribe and criticize a public owned orginisation that has served the Australian people extremely well. When privately owned broadcasting companies didn't think that people living in the country deserved tv it was the ABCs responsibility to provide it, when it was required to let those Australians overseas whether at war or in peace to have a little home news Radio Australia provided it and they sent the message right through south east asia. Its people like you who really need to understand the importance of having a broadcaster that isn't run by a group of puppets and are that are so biased that if they were scrutinized like the ABC was they would or should have their licences canceled . Yes Brian you are a fool and as are the many Brians like you, who while the mists of a very divisive ideology control your every thought and body function there are those enlightened souls who know better and look down upon you with disdain and know quite well that nothing will save you from your self.

Sounds fair. Corporates expect government to socialise losses. Something about geese and ganders should be stated here.

Commenter

JExodus21

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 6:43PM

yea mate, they wanted it funded about as much as their baby boomer parents got it. unfortunately diesel tax concessions to super rich miners are more important that free education. then again all that money those baby boomers made from their free education had to be invested in something and they would be mighty annoyed if their investments didn't pay a return. and the cycle of entrenched wealth continues.

Commenter

Stewart

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 7:58PM

Mumsy and dada pay yours back in the 90's did they 'micka'?

Commenter

BJ

Date and time

May 06, 2014, 10:18PM

Are you aware of the irony of what you just wrote?? I am hoping (for your sake) that it was intentional and meant in humour. In case it was not -

What you could also have said was that apparently 'socialists' want taxpayers to fund their future tax paying capacity, not to mention contribution to GDP.

Perhaps it takes an economics degree to recognise that educating the generation that will be paying tax when you and I are in our dotage and possibly requiring government help (medical if nothing else) is a good investment of my/our current tax payments.

Commenter

Gen x and not a socialist

Location

Date and time

May 07, 2014, 9:16AM

They might be lefties now but once they graduate and start getting the big salaries they will become dedicated LNP voters unless they go into politics then they become anything that gets them into office. What's wrong with private universities or any form of education private or public that at the end of the day means a net increase in our nations human resources but than again were not all young enough to be experts in everything. On a serious note their behaviour was sheer disrespect to those of us that tuned in to watch the debate not a few ratbags shouting.